US and South Korean forces conducting live-fire war games over the Korean Peninsula accidentally dropped eight 500-pound bombs on a South Korean city, wounding more than a dozen people.
According to unnamed South Korean officials who spoke with the press, two South Korean KF-16 aircraft dropped eight MK-82 500-pound bombs on a populated area on Thursday. The munitions landed in Pocheon, a city of 140,000, leaving 15 injured.
Photos of the aftermath show destroyed homes and a damaged church.
New video shows bombs striking South Korean town near DMZ
The South Korean Air Force says 8 MK-82 bombs were mistakenly dropped by a jet during a war drill with the US.
The MK-82 is a US-manufactured 500 lbs bomb.
15 people are reported injured. pic.twitter.com/txfESOlXUF
— Nodutdol | 노둣돌 (@nodutdol) March 6, 2025
The city was outside of the training grounds that were the intended target. Seoul said one of its pilots used incorrect coordinates and instead bombed a civilian area. The source did not provide an explanation for the second aircraft also bombing beyond the target zone.
US and South Korean war planes were conducting live-fire exercises ahead of the annual Freedom Shield drills, which are intended as a show of force eyeing North Korea. Tanks, howitzers, attack helicopters, and stealth fighter jets were also used in the exercises.
The Freedom Shield war games are set to begin on Monday, and will likely continue to escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this week, a US aircraft carrier docked in South Korea, prompting the DPRK to issue a statement vowing to further develop its nuclear weapons program.
When President Donald Trump left office in 2021, tensions with North Korea had somewhat cooled. Washington had paused major war games with South Korea and Pyongyang limited its missile testing under a short-lived ‘freeze for freeze’ deal. However, President Joe Biden abandoned Trump’s engagement policy and ramped up the US military presence in the region.
The result was several rounds of escalation, including major war games and frequent missile tests between the US and the two Koreas. Since returning to office, Trump has continued the Biden policy with respect to the Korean Peninsula, deploying strategic military equipment to Seoul and conducting live-fire military drills.
